Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) Five Brothers

Shortly after my initial addiction to Copenhagen snuff in 1967, I attempted a short lived excursion into the realm of what I thought to be pipe tobacco. I'm alluding to what was then and may be still now popular in drug store aromatics, brands and blends not worthy to be spoken in the presence of Five Brothers. Oh, I was happy enough standing in my vanilla or cherry cloud whilst fly fishing mountain streams in Montana, but I always found myself stuffing a pinch of Cope under my lip immediately after a vitamin N deficient smoke. Admittedly, the Copenhagen appeared to taste better after a slowly drawn bowl, but pipe smoking was not for me. It was too much bother whilst wading and fishing and it could not completely satisfy of itself, or so I thought.

Four years ago after a 38 year hiatus I returned to the briar. Yes, I retraced the old route of aromatics but shortly thereafter found through the Internet some delightful English blends, Virginia and Burley offerings. I say delightful in that they complemented my Copenhagen. No pipe tobacco could truly satisfy... or could it. I then dared to query the Internet to see if there were any high octane pipe tobaccos available and thus did I find Five Brothers Smoking Tobacco. Finally. This shag cut burley approached the vitamin N level of my beloved Cope. For my body chemistry it's strength was acceptable and satisfying. It packed easily into a featherweight, burned swift and clean, and yielded no bite whatsoever. There were no added flavorings and it's taste was mild and interesting, simply that of tobacco. And so I was properly reintroduced into the realm of pipe tobacco.

Five Brothers has become my all business tobacco. It's excellent for the short break. It's perfect for inclement weather. It's a vulgar tobacco for men, a shit-or-get-off-the-pot smoke. But now having said that, please do keep in mind that all of this is coming from a snuff dipper of about forty years.

Now whilst I say that its taste is mild and interesting, it is singular without complexity. Enter the parfait. May I challenge you to experimentation. Carter Hall at the bottom of the bowl, a midsection of G&H Dark Flake, topped off with Five Brothers as kindling and kick at the top. Or perhaps a thin layer of Boswell's Christmas Cookie at the bottom, Prince Albert in the skinny middle with old Five Brothers crowning the top. I trust you see the pattern. You must incorporate Five Brothers somewhere in the parfait for a satisfying smoke and layering lengthens the experience.

Yes, Five Brothers is my dearest buddy who is always available when I need a shot of vitamin N, but I've since found SG 1792, and G&H Dark Flake and Dark Birdseye that all have commendable strength and lend themselves to sipping as if a fine bourbon. I'll sing their accolades elsewhere, but I mention them here for the benefit of some few who may be interested in what else this old addict finds acceptable as an alternative to Copenhagen snuff.

For a no-nonsense, satisfying, and to-the-quick pipe smoke, I highly recommend Five Brothers.

What is worse than a tobacco snob? A tobacco elitist. Our motto: life is too short to smoke anything but great tobaccos. However, those can be found across a wide range of brands and blends, including some drug store tobaccos. Five Brothers descends from the old line of codger Burley tobaccos and is an excellent, frequent smoke for me.

To be enjoyed, it must be smoked correctly. Push it down into the pipe and tamp in three layers. Then light it to char, tamp, and light again. Now, smoke slowly while walking so the initial blast of top smoke goes away. Keep that pipe in your teeth at an angle and draw slowly, gently for long puffs, then savor the flavor.

You will taste relatively unadulterated and unmodified Burley. It has a forest flavor, like the smell of the leaves on the floor in fall, and a richness that emerges as the smoke dissipates from your mouth. Keep sipping. This blend favors the pipe smoker who lets it smoulder, not the one who makes it burn. Over time, its internal texture reveals itself, an alternating mix of harvest flavors like hay and woodsy, darker tastes.

Like other strong natural blends, Five Brothers is not for everyone. It does not intend to be. It rewards the initiate who follows its ways. Like other codger tobaccos, it is meant to be smoked in the midst of some other activity, both as stimulant and straightforward taste sensation. The nicotine kick is a shade South of Old Joe Krantz or Royal Yacht, but nonetheless quite stimulating.

When I introduce this to friends, I describe it as 'American Semois.' Simple, clear, and with the type of flavor one gets from a raw ingredient. The lack of deception and wholesome taste clears the head as much as the substantial kick. Goes well with outdoors, activity and long walks when thinking out a difficult problem or inspiring new concept.

I really love this stuff. Ive waited so long for something like this.. its perfect!

Very simple, straight forward and what i think is probably the closest thing to true plain tobacco.

Out of the Pouch this stuff was dry as a bone, and it reflected it during smoking. Hot and bitey... Not any good at all and quite terrible if you leave it this way. I drop a pounch coin in the jar for a few weeks and was rewarded with a very smooth and gentle tobacco with a whomp of nicotine. its really alot better then most are making it out to be, I just think it needs alitte love to bring it up to a proper status. Its my all day smoke, and for flavor i might add a pinch of Q1 or something to change the mood.

The aroma and flavor is nutty to me, but very light and whispy. Room note is approachable but strong to a non smoker. Cigarette Smokers seem to compliment me on the smell the most and are the most curious about this particular blend.

I find this stuff smokes well in almost anything. Cobs and glass seeming to be the best for a clean flavor. So tighter and taller bowls are what I feel she favors. Many have said this is the best "De-Ghoster" there is but I have to disagree, its too neutral and just blends in.

This is definitly "My" blend. And in the end, even with all the blends that are on the market, I find myself returning to a simpler more comforting tobacco that allows me to relax, taste the plant, and give me the nicotine I want. This is Smoke, for Smoking... And nuthing more.

If you like gourmet tobacco flavored with such things as dandelions, butterscotch and candy canes then move on ,this is not a tobacco for you!

If you like John Wayne movies and eat rare steak with nothing but salt and pepper. If you like to drive cars (or even better trucks) with carburetors and no computers. If you think the only flavoring you should put in a cup of Joe is George Dickel. Then this might be up your alley. Straight up strong Burley that taste like tobacco (gasp!) Toasty,nutty and a nice pepper spice hit. Put on you big boy pants and wait to get hit with a glorious nicotine punch. I have smoked stronger though(Mammoth Cave Twist and D&R Picayune come to top of mind). I do like too hydrate it some to slow down the burning process so i can enjoy the goodness of the tobacco longer. I like to hand roll it as well when i need a quick smoke break and don't want to hassle with a pipe. Although i don't smoke this all day long i will certainly smoke 3 -5 bowls a day ,if i have it.

If you have ever wondered what your great grandfathers likely smoked then this is about as close as you are gonna get by today's tobacco's. Thankfully my local tobacco store started carrying 5 Brothers and i don't have to order it online. My only complaint is it does not come in a bigger pouch or a tub.

Five Brothers. The one and only Five Brothers I have heard so much about. The ass kicker! The one that makes on pass out! The evil weed!

Well, I picked one of my old well caked Kaywoodies for the occation, sat out on the dock so I would not bother anybody, and filled my pipe and lit up. Expected a mule kick! Expected to double over and get dizzy! But..........damn, I like it! I mean a lot!!

So I sat there and smoked the whole bowl right down to the bottom getting ash in my mouth, and I really love it! No tongue bite, no "n" attack, no sore throat, nothing but pleasure. If this is an ass kicking, then I'll take another. In fact, I am going to smoke this for a few days and that case of it on SF classified might get taken. I mean, I was disappointed when I got to the bottom, I wanted more! I get a nice, rich, smooth smoke that stays lit and has a sweet note and aftertaste. Kind of like Granger on steriods! But I like Granger. I like this. Maybe I really am an old codger because I see why they liked it. I wonder why I never have seen it down here in S. Texas?

I was lucky that a UK-pipe friend did send me (both nicely aged) a bag (about 150g) as well as a 1,25oz pouch of this to me about 1 year ago. Since then I regularly came back to the Five Brothers blend!

This is plain and simple, yet honest and flavorful pipe tobacco - nothing more, but also nothing less! Great, natural and vegetative, almost horse-stable-ish pouch note, with only very mild sweetness underlying to the earthy, woodsy and nutty foundation.

In the smoke it's monochromatic, yet still enjoyable in every puff to me. Very toasty and earthy, richly nutty, and by times almost a bit bready, with a slight sharp edge which I like. The Shag burns great, even, albeit due to the nature of this cut a bit fast (yet never hot!). I love this in smaller bowls, or even a shag pipe! 10-20minutes of pure, unadulterated Burley goodness, and then proceed to the everyday-madness! 😉

Honest, natural, delicious and stout... Burley-Lovers-Bliss!

|| Personal rating: 4-stars | Attempt of an 'obective rating' : 4-stars ||

If someone wants to bum a cigarette from you, always have one of these ready rolls handy. Better yet, have some Picayune ready rolls on hand. Not likely they'll come back for another but then again, they might want to tough it out if they have a comfortable chair to sit down in.

This is some strong, straight Burley & is good to stoke in a pipe or RYO. I rather like very strong tobaccos on occasion as well as a strong cigar since I don't inhale anything. I like to keep my lungs free of "asphalt." This doesn't have any flavor to offer other than just plain old Burley tobacco taste which is sufficient if you're just after a Vitamin N blast.

This is simply a no frills, straight up Kentucky Burley that only takes a few puffs to get you going but when you get there, you may not remember where you came from. Excellent blend for what it is with a good price tag. I liked it & sometimes use it to top off a wimpy blend. Warning: Smoke only on a full stomach if you're not used to strong stuff like Five Brothers or you might be headed to Barf City to toss your cookies.

Absolutely have to do a review of the venerable Five Brothers. When I was a mere lad, this used to come in an interesting sort of cardboard tube, and it was made by the Finzer Brothers. Along with Granger ("A pointer on tobacco" with a picture of, you guessed it, a pointer hound, according to the old lithographed tin), Velvet, Prince Albert and Half and Half, Five Brothers was the epitome of old fart tobacco... and Five Brothers was considered "working class" compared to the other ones, since it came in a cardboard tube versus a fancy tin. I seem to remember the codgers mostly leaning towards Granger here in the South, which is basically a straight burley, as is Five Brothers, although Five Brothers uses a bird's eye cut. Granger is still a pretty decent smoke, the only negative there is the fact that's got quite a bit of humectant in it. Currently, Five Brothers is made by STG, but it really hasn't changed much. I've seen it described as American Semois, which is pretty apt. Five Brothers is a little more straightforward, and it's certainly has a higher nicotine kick than Semois. Being fairly mild in terms of flavor, it makes a good addition to a straight Cavendish aromatic, or whatever smoke you might feel needs a little more oomph. In fact, on the nicotine scale, this tobacco is right under the infamous Cotton Boll (another legendary tobacco from the South, which may or may not have been intended to be smoked, versus chewed, and is still available in finer rural convenience stores in the Deep South) and the Irish ropes like Brown Bogie. A pipe full of straight St James Perique will put you on your rump with Vitamin N too... the only time I ever had to put a pipe down is when I loaded a big Nording with some straight Perique...and Five Brothers is not for the faint hearted.

Five Brothers is minimally cased, fairly dry, and finely cut in the cellophane wrapped package. Definitely requires a solid packing, and I've never found that it would bite, but it really is a tobacco to be respected, freight train puffing is liable to put you DOWN, coughing and wheezing a bit. It gives me a feeling of late summer agriculture, drying hay, soil, a hot dirt road right after the rain, very straightforward flavor. Does not have the complexity of Semois, but it stays absolutely consistent throughout the bowl, and like Semois, will burn straight down to fine white ash. Room note is probably just slightly on the other side of a cigarette, although I don't really get a cigarette flavor in the pipe. It's supposed to make a pretty good hand roll too.

This is a tobacco that I always have around because I use it to break in pipes... I don't think there's a better tobacco out there for building up good carbonaceous cake, and is generally $4 a pack so you can burn as much as you like... or can take. Note the package clearly states "Pipe Tobacco!", that exclamation point at the end is there for a reason.

This stuff is nothing to be afraid of. I just smoked 3 bowls of it for breakfast and I'm 90% sure I'm not going to vomit. Quit being a girl and try it!